“Teach Or Punish?”: a Qualitative Case Study of a Restorative Approach to School Discipline to Focus on the Moral Development of Students

Exclusionary disciplinary practices have been utilized by American schools for decades and have ultimately contributed to the school-to-prison pipeline. Reports from the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Civil Rights indicate the disproportionate rates that students of Color, particularly those who are Black boys, are excluded from instruction due to behaviors at much higher rates than their white peers. This data also reflects how students of Color who receive special education services are also disciplined at excessive amounts when compared to white, non-disabled students. To combat this current problem in education, many education reformers and leaders have opted to implement more restorative approaches to discipline. For this qualitative case study, I examine how one specific school is combatting the school-to-prison pipeline through their efforts to promote restorative methods for school discipline. The school, Rise Academy, recognizes the current problem in education regarding school discipline and instead focuses on the overall growth of their students to nourish them and help them thrive by prioritizing trauma-informed care, social emotional learning, response to intervention, and restorative practices, amounting to a form of moral education Keywords: school discipline, restorative justice, moral development, virtue, character

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Alabama Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Underwood, Jennifer

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Walker, David I.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Erevelles, Nirmall
• Atkinson, Becky M.
• Mutua, Kagendo
• Guyotte, Kelly W.

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Language dc:language.iso

en_US, English

Dc Identifier Other

1137387

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ir.ua.edu:123456789/16632